Drift
by Goldenpetal
Summary: Taylor and three other girls have been chosen as candidates for brides to the House Governers. A fatal virus kills females at 20, and males at 25. They are carted away to California, where they will live for the rest of their lives. Please read, I'm not very good at summaries.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: This may seem extremely like the original text, but it is not. I will be publishing/updating this whenever possible. Please do not flame/criticize I do not like when those comments are posted. I do not own the Chemical Garden trilogy, that series belongs to the Author. I do,however, own the words of this story, the characters, and the storyline. Oh, and just a quick warning, I do have all my stories on Carbon Copy Alert, so not wise to copy, unless you give me partial credit ;D. Enjoy the story.**

1

I WAIT. They keep us in the dark for so long that we lose sense of our eyelids. The only way one of us can tell that a girl has reached a wall is that she starts to bang against it, screaming in frustration as she pounds her fist against the wall. There is a slight ringing as she pounds her fists against the wall; I suppose there is metal in the wall.

The doors open.

Light shines in on us, like a birth canal. It's so bright that there are squeals of pain and most of us duck into the shadows. Our eyes are no longer used to the bright light of the outside world as we are herded out. The sky waits in its usual place.

Men in long gray coats come out to inspect us. These are the Gatherers, and they regularly patrol the streets, looking for ideal candidates to kidnap. I've heard rumors about girls that disappear from their beds, or from the streets. It happened to a girl in my neighborhood. She disappeared from her bed in the middle of the night. Her family moved away shortly after her disappearance, either to look for her, or to acknowledge that she was gone, and wouldn't come back. Then, the lucky ones will appear on TV, scared, but gorgeous brides in the arms of rich men. The ones that don't make it get sold into prostitution or are found murdered on the side of the road, rotting under the sun's bright rays, the Gatherers too lazy to return the body to her family.

One of the Gatherers notices me, and comes over. I look up immediately. He notices my beautiful eyes and mesmerized calls to another of his fellows, who comes over immediately. I have one green eye and one blue eye, a condition my mother called heterochromia iridium . As soon as they walk off to inspect the other girls, I quickly look back down to my shoes. _Stupid! _I think to myself. I should not have allowed the Gatherers to see my eyes,now I will surely end up in the girls that are not chosen. After a few minutes of hushed whispers between the Gatherers, they pile into an elegant-looking vintage car, 4 of them remaining behind to sort us into the cars that we will be going to, either the elegant-looking coppery gold limousine that stands parked with its back doors open, or a rickety, old white van. I hold my breath as they begin to push girls toward one of the two vehicles.

I continue to hold my breath, as the line gets shorter and shorter, until finally, it's my turn. I have to try not to act nervous as I look between the two vehicles, trying to see what vehicle I might be destined to go into at this moment. My eyes finally lock on the dreaded white van, but then, to my surprise, I feel a small shove, pushing me toward the coppery gold limousine. I have to try to control my shaky legs as I walk toward the open back doors. Two Gatherers are already there waiting for me, and they help me into the limousine, making sure I am comfortable before they turn back to the business that is on hand now.

I can hear the swoosh of air being forced into the limousine, and I feel refreshed as I take a big gulp of the cold air. Two other girls climb into the limousine shortly after me, but I feel as though there is something in the air. I am slowly growing drowsy, as I take in more and more of the air. They help one more girl into the limousine, and that is when I notice the solid glass sheet that separates the driver's seat and the seat beside it from the rest of the limousine.

Then, I hear it. The sound I was dreading to hear since I turned sixteen. The crack of a pistol emanates from the rickety, old van, and the situation dawns on me. They are shooting the ones that did not make it, that did not become candidates for brides. That is the last thing that I hear before I slip into a medicated dream.

**Hope you enjoyed it ;D, next chapter coming soon. This first chapter may be a little short, I'm not very good with making very long chapters, so bye for now! **


	2. Chapter 2

2

I slowly awaken from my medicated dream, drowsy, but glad that the first crack of the pistol that I heard earlier is no longer haunting me. I am lying on what feels like a cloud, and covered in warmth that I never got back home. As I open my eyes, I begin to realize where I am, remembering the selection and what happened before I slipped into medicated dreams. The room that I am locked in I is covered in a layer of lush red velvet and has hints of pale rose pink on the walls. The door opens as I am taking in my surroundings. A young boy walks in carrying a silver tray.

The silver tray seems to smell as if there is food on it, and I have to concentrate on other matters as I try to ignore the massive rumbling that my hungry stomach is making. I notice that I am wearing a lacy white gown, with small pearls sewn into the material. The gown fits so well that I hardly even notice the lace cuffs, and it is more comfortable than any other gown that I have ever worn.

"How long have I been here?" I ask.

"Two Days," the boy says, before turning his attention to the silver tray that he carried into my room.

The boy opens the cover of the silver tray with a look of pure determination on his face, and he sets the cover aside. I see a bowl of steamed vegetables on a bed of mashed potatoes, along with a dollop of butter and sour cream on the top. This mixture is drowned in a sea of rich, warm brown gravy. He opens yet another small bowl, and this one contains pieces of crispy, fried chicken drenched in a spicy orange sauce and topped with raw chives, and what looks like pickled chiles. He sets these two bowls on the bedside table, and pulls off the cover of the final dish. This last one is a stir-fried white perch, drenched in a delicious pan Asian sauce that is then topped with a mixture of cilantro, cucumber, and a dollop of mashed parsnips. I never dreamed that they would keep me locked up in a jail, just allowing me wander in this one room, and serve a gourmet meal. Its slightly disgusting, the thoughts of the House Governors. I ask about the other girl in the room next to me, who vomited a little bit earlier.

"Everyone reacts to the sleep gas differently. She is touring the gardens with the House Governor right now. Eat." He says, and begins to clean up the small mess I made earlier when I accidently dropped a candy, and it melted instantly once it hit the floor. He sprays what looks like a white foam that has a light scent of lemon on the spot, and the foam scrubs the carpet clean, then dissolves itself into the carpet. He throws away the rag into a trash chute, then turns his attention back to me.

After I finish the meal that he has brought me, I feel better then ever. I have not felt this full for ages. He brings me a hot, steaming drink, and I am about to reject it when I notice that it is tea. It has been spiced with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cream. I accept the drink gratefully, and sit sipping at it. Tea brings up memories of home, and the boy notices that my eyes have begun to tear up. He gathers the empty bowls onto the tray and leaves the room to me, to allow me to get over my grief of being separated from the rest of my family.

I head over to the window seat, and sit staring into the stables as I sip the creamy tea, memories of me together with my family passing through my head. After finishing the tea, I can no longer bear to hold the grief inside me for longer, I drop my head onto my knees and cry.

**Hope you enjoyed Chapter 2 of Drift. The next chapter will be out as soon as I can type it! Review this chapter for me! **

**Sunny.**


	3. Chapter 3

3

I have been crying for the past two days, and the pillowcase is soaked with my salty tears. I am just getting up and about to brush away my tears on the lacy white sleeve of my nightgown when the young boy, Col, enters the room and hands me a lush red napkin to wipe my tears on. He turns his attention to the pillowcase, and he slides it gently off of the silky pillow, replacing it with a new one and tossing the tear-soaked one down the trash chute. He continues to attend to me while I wipe up the last of my tears on the napkin.

There is a knock on the door.

Col goes to answer it, and a young girl sticks her head in, and begins whispering to him, I hear bits of their conversation, but I don't hear much of it, because of their hushed voices and my inability to read lips very well. I think it has something to do with the House Governor though. Col says a last phrase to the girl before popping his head back in my room and tidying it up again. But he goes to my wardrobe this time, and pulls out a pale orange gown that I did not notice before. Its cloth shimmers slightly as it sways in the light breeze that the boy makes as he gracefully transports it over to my bedside table. I am wondering why he is taking out this gown.

Then, I realize what the gown is for, what its purpose was from the time when it was made. I am going to be getting married. I do not know what to expect about this marriage, only that I will be finally on TV, but I also feel sorry for the girls that didn't make it, and that now lay dead, or sold into prostitution. I try to shy away, but the young girl now returns to my room, with another girl that I don't recognize, and the same age as her. They must be in charge of getting me ready for the wedding that I have been dreading ever since I got here. I wonder what they will do before I am forced to wear that wedding ring.

Col and the young girls are in a huddle, whispering to each other as they look at me with occasional glances. They are wondering what they should do first before I am presented to the House Governor, my soon-to-be husband. Apparently, some of them think it should be my hair that should be fixed first, but then the young girls override Col's decision, and I am lead out of the room.

I am lead to a bathroom that is filled with the luxuries of being a House Governor, and the young girls get to their business almost immediately. My nails are washed with a mixture of cold water and lemon-scented foam. Then they are polished and rounded until they shine under the thin-looking light in the bathroom. Then, the moment where they lead me to the bath, and they open a large cupboard.

The large cupboard is filled with little soaps that are shaped like stars, hearts, and flowers. They are in every color imaginable except the ugly colors: gray, black, and brown. I get whiffs of their scent as I look at them with interest, picking some of them up and getting a slight whiff of the possible scent that just waits to be released into the warm water that the young girls are filling the tub with right now. I am helped out of my gown, and they place it to the side, neatly folded. I am provided with a stack of fluffy towels, and a robe is slipped onto me.

The two young girls open the cupboard where the soaps are contained, and I am permitted to choose the soaps that will go into my water. I ponder carefully, going over the entire selection with my eyes, the young girls watching me as I point to a light green one, a magenta purple one and a light orange one. They move over to grab them, and I sit back as they are dropped into the water. The odors of mint, mixed berry, and orange fill the room. I bath, and return to my room.


	4. Chapter 4

4

The next morning I am not woken by Col, but by a group of young girls that stand chattering beside my bed as I slowly awaken from my deep slumber. They immediately whisk me away to the bathroom, where they dunk me in warm, soapy water that's scented with lemon, citrus, and lavender. They stand polishing my nails into neat round peaks, and rub ointment onto the sensitive parts underneath my nails to help strengthen the area. The wedding is today. I wonder what gown that they have chosen for me to wear at the ceremony and who I am getting married to today.

I have always had a natural love for horses, and I hope that the person that I will be married to has a love for horses too.

The young girls have pulled out a billowy pink gown that seems to shimmer in the wind, and is decorated with false, tiny cherry blossoms woven into the material, which also has tiny pink tourmaline sewn into the material. They help me into the dress, which fits perfectly and I feel like I am wearing the white dress that my mom had made me wear during the summers when we went to church. I am helped to the elevator, which can only be used by people who have one of the elevator holographic cards, which are colored pink. The elevator goes down to the correct level, and I am helped out once again.

The lawn has been beautifully decorated and there are large crowds of people gathered there, ready to witness the wedding. I can only hope that it will go without any errors. There is a white mare that is pacing around at the very back of the bridal procession, and it is decked out in a light pink saddle and its tail and mane have been dyed pink for the occasion, there are also little cherry blossoms stuck in its mane. I know that the horse was always meant for me to ride on this occasion, and I am helped to mount it, even though I am an experienced horsewoman. My dress is adjusted and spread on the horse's flank. The wedding begins with the usual flair of a normal wedding. The other girls that I was riding the limousine with must have been dropped off in other locations, because I am the only one in the entire procession that is decked out in bridal gear. I can hear the mare whinnying cheerfully as we are married in the formal ceremony. I wonder what is set on the long white table that I see at the end of all of the hastiness. As we get closer and closer to the table, I see that there is a wide variety of food set on it, and I just try to eat as lightly as possible, going for the seared scallops with julienned green snap peas, which are marinated in a sweet onion vinaigrette. After the wedding, the boy that I was married to, now my legal husband approaches me.

"Hello, Taylor, my name is Oak, it is truly a pleasure to meet you as your lawfully wedded husband. May I take you toward the stables?" he asks, bowing before me and extending his hand in invitation.

I gasp in pure joy.

I immediately grab his hand like some kid that is fresh out of kindergarten, and we giggle with joy as he leads me toward the stables on the white mare, who is free of the bridal gear that she donned earlier, and who is whinnying happily as we gallop toward the stables.

"Taylor, do you know the name of the mare that you are riding right now?" Oak asks, tilting his head as he waits for my answer.

"No, I don't, Oak." I say back, tense as I wait for his answer.

"She is called Rose, because of her mood and liking of flowers, I think she likes you very much right now." He says, patting Rose's muzzle, and she whinnies once again, enjoying the feel of the wind and Oak's soft hand.

We finally arrive at the stables, and I gasp.

They are beautiful, more beautiful than I have ever seen in my life. The spicy, grassy scent of hay lingers in the air around the stables, bringing me back to memories of my old home. There are about 4,000 stables on each level, each one filled with a gorgeous horse that whinnies a greeting as we pass. There are 7 levels, and I have to hold back my excitement, which boils in me like a kid in a carnival ride. I dismount Rose, and she is lead to her stable, where she is covered in a pink horse blanket with her name embroidered on it. She is fed a mixture of timothy hay, alfalfa, oats, vetch, and other treats that horses love, mixed along with a little honey. She buries her muzzle happily in the sticky mixture, and loud sounds of munching emanate from her stall. I smile as I watch her munch on her meal, and wonder how my brother, Strika, is doing at home, if he is feeling lonely or is just continuing life without me, completely cast me out of his thoughts and memories, if he has any thoughts of the sister that he lost.

A young bay gelding catches my eye. He is named Rowan, his name etched on the lime green horse blanket that is draped across his back. I feel a sudden connection, as if this horse has been here waiting for me to come and ride him for ages. I feel as though he was destined to be my special partner, the one that I rode around in the wind all day long, and spent long periods of times outdoors enjoying the wind that blew on my face and the neighs of the horse. Oak and I sit talking in the sunlight that streams through the stables, and breathing in the spiciness of fresh hay that lurks in the wind of the stables.

**Author's Note: I was surprised by the progress that I have made on this story. It is the longest one that I have written so far. I expect to have the next chapter published as soon as I can find time for it. Currently, I am working on a story with a friend: FrozenBeastie, and I might have to put this one on hold for a while. I do not know if I will have to put it on hold or not. I will have to see after I discuss things with Frozen. I hope that you have enjoyed this story so far. Read and Review!**

**~Goldenpetal**


	5. Chapter 5

5

I awaken slowly by my bed, and I am still dreaming about what happened last night. The horse, marvelous stables, and Oak clasping my hand and giving me a grand tour of the stables that I will spend my time with him. I slip from the bed and bump into a little girl, named Willow, who waits for me.

"Lady Violet wants to see you." her face pales as she says this name. "Always address her as Lady Violet and please…try to avoid the subject of death…if she offers you anything, take it" the little girl says.

I'm led down a semi-dark hallway to what I think is the master suite. The little girl opens the door to reveal a beautiful girl that is stuck in her bed, a bunch of tubes attached to her left forearm. A bowl of brightly-wrapped candies sits in front of her and wrappers are scattered around the floor.

The little girl, whose name is Aurora, walks into the master suite to inform Lady Violet that I am waiting outside to see her as she asked. "Lady Violet, Angel is waiting outside." she says.

"Send her in, my dear" the girl says, fiddling with a cherry red wrapper that contains another candy.

I'm led into the room by Aurora, who skips out of the door as she seems glad that she has finished her task. I face the girl and she begins to speak.

"Who are you?" she says in a raspy voice that sends chills down my spine while she gets a better look at me. "Oh, you're my replacement. How old are you?"

"Thirteen, Lady Violet." I reply.

"Oh, good, poor Oak will get to live out the rest of his life with your company", she seems to relax at this thought and leans back into the pillows. Then, a coughing racket begins, and I hand her handkerchief to her, which she places back on the nightstand blood-splattered. The candies look so mesmerizing and I guess Lady Violet also realizes that I'm dying to know what that candy in her bowl is, so she begins to speak again as soon as I have helped her drink some water.

"The candies are called June Beans, darling. They are simply my favorite, and so fruity…every color of the rainbow including white is included in each crate, and every shade of each color that is included in the rainbow. I have made those kitchen assistants order six crates, and I'm afraid I won't be around much longer, so I want to give a crate to you. Will you accept my gift?"

I nod my answer silently, and she begins to cough up blood again. There's a white button above her nightstand, and a blue one. She feebly presses the blue one and says that one of the crates of June Beans is to be delivered to my room. Then, she collapses onto the bed, coughing blood. I press the white one, and the voice of what I think is her domestic answers.

"Yes, Lady Violet?" a boy answers.

"I'm Angel, and I was visiting Lady Violet. She's coughing blood, come quick!" I say a hint of alarm in my voice.

The boy gasps. "I'm going to bring Oak and medical staff. Thanks for telling me. Get back to your room now, its best if you do." then, he cuts off.

I take the boy's advice, and run straight back to my room, almost running into the gigantic crate of June Beans and a note that has a picture of a black stallion with long, slender ears covered with an ember orange saddle cloth. _Did Oak get me a horse?_ I think, surprised. I think that the horse in the picture is what my mom called an Akhal-Teke, a beautiful horse known for its loyalty and stamina.

I'm so tired that I end up pushing the crate of June Beans right to the side of my bed, plop down onto the bed after taking a bath, and just fall asleep, dreaming of the June Beans beside my bed.


End file.
